Direction-indicator.



H. HALL.

omacnom INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED OCT. I, 1914. 1,261,228 Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

witnesses H. HALL.

DIRECTION INDICATOR. APPUCATION FILED4OCT. 1. 1914.

Patented Apr. 2, 1-918.

2 SHEETSSHEET Z- "e an orre.

new new, or LownLL, nessncnnsnrrs.

ninncrIon-Innrcaron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. a, rare.

Application filed october 1, 1914. Serial No. 864,497.

,To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY HALL, citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates to direction indicaters, and more especially to thattype of such devices as are meantto be adjustably carried by motor vehicles in city streets to signal to each other future movements of the trafic units individually.

As a principal object, it is contemplated by this invention to providea device of the character described which shall reliably indicate at a moments notice the direction to be taken by the vehicle carrying such device to observers both in advance and to the rear of the machine and which will also signal to following cars whenever a stop is intended.

' It is a further object to provide a trafic indicator of the type set forth which shall be easily operated by the driver of the car and which shall be equally useful in night time as well as daylight.

It is a further aim to provide a device of this kind which may be readily positioned upon an automobile without necessitating any alteration in the construction of the same and one that when so positioned will not take up a great amount of space, will have the majority of its working parts hidden and will not detract from the beauty of any car.

An object of equal importance with the foregoing is to so construct a direction indieator accomplishing the foregoing object with such regard to proportion, number and arrangement of parts as to render it capable of being cheaply manufactured as well as durable and eflicient in operation.

The above and additional objects which will become apparent as this explanatory description proceeds are accomplished by such meansas are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the followin specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein there is illustrated the preferred embodiment of this invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which like characters of reference designate similar parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automobile body showing-the improved direction indicator comprehended by this invention positioned thereupon,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged and longitudinal partial section of the matter disclosed in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the forward indicating frame, I

Fig. 4c is a side elevation of the rear frame,

liig. 5 is a plan View of the operators contro Fig. 6 is a sectional detail taken on the plane indicated by the line 6-6 of Fig. 5,-

- Fig. 2.

Upon reference to the drawings, the nu meral l0 designates the body of an automobile mounted as is customary upon chassis or frame members 11. U-shaped frames illustrated more particularly in Figs. 3 and i are used for mounting the various indicators employed by this invention, the frame 12 being secured to the radiator or hood of the automobile in any desirable manner while its companion frame 13 is carried by the very rear of the machine in a situation analogous to the tail-light. The free ends of each U-shaped frame are threadingly apertured to receive a similarly threaded plug 14, each of which plugs has its inner end conically recessed to receive a similarly shaped extremity of rotatable rods 15 which are held removably and adjustably between the extremities of the U-shaped member. The rod 15 carried by the frame 12 is provided with an indicating device 16 which as illustrated preferably takes the form of a hand with the index finger outstretched; such device being formed from a cheap and durable metal and fixedly secured to the rod 15 for rotation therewith. A sleeve 17 has formed thereon an arcuate arm 18, one end of which is connected. by a link 19 to the upper end of a lever which is pivoted as at 21 to a small L-shaped bracket 22 carried by the lower arm of the frame 12. The. lever 20 at its opposite extremity has connected thereto the link 23 which as will hereinafter be described forms a portion of the intermediate transmission of actuating power to the indicator 16. In order to maintain this latter in the position illustrated so as to normally indicate the straight forward direction of the machine, a suitable resilient means such as the contractile coiled spring 24 is provided to perpendicularly connect the oscillatable rod 15 with the body portion of the U-shaped frame 12 so that any tendency toward rotation on the part of the former will be resisted by the tension of the spring.

' the similar movements of The upper arm of the U-shaped frame carries .a pair of 'U-shaped contact poles nested one 'within the other but insulated so that the pole25 to which is connected a lead wire 26 cannot establish any communication with they inner pole 27 whose lead.

32 are also provided for each lamp in order to direct the illumination upon the indicating fingers 16. i

The rear frame 13 has its rod 15 similarly equipped with an indicating device 16, sleeve and arm 17 and 18, link 19, lever 20, spring 24 and similar adjuncts in the manner already described for the forward frame. Since both lamps 30 are dapted to be on simultaneously to 0th signaling hands, no make and break contact such as the arm29 and U-sha ed poles 25 and 27 are needed on this rear rame. Means however are provided to signal to a following car an intended stop of the first car, such means including a vertically swinging indicating hand 33 pivoted as at 34 to a suitable bracket carried by the frame 13 and normally held in the horizontal or non-registering position indicated in Fig. 4 by means of.

the contractile spring 35. Connections 36' are interposed between a free end of the sto indicator and a T-lever 36 which is pivoted as suitably illustrated at 37 to the frame 13 and is connected with primary means of roperly show tamee actuation therefor as will be more clearly set forth. i

There is illustrated in Fig. 5 control means for the various indicating devices including a U-shaped member 38 riveted to a plate 39 adapted to be secured to the inclined dash of the automobile, said member carrying the rotatable sleeve 40 centrally of which and at right angles to which are suitably fastened pedals 41 and 42 preferably provided with the characters L and R to indicate respectively a left or right turn of the machine. Ears 43'project rearwardly of the bracket 38 and have ivoted thereto an L-shaped lever 44 suitably marked S and designed to operate the mechanism indlcating a stoppage of the vehicle, projectmg for this purpose through a suitable slot 45 in the base plate.

'ljhe' base plate 39 is laterally slotted as indlcated t 46 and registering therewith is a similar aperture 47 formed in'the U-shaped bracket .38 so that a depression of either of the arms 41 and 42 Wlll ,resultin arcuate movement transversely of the machine of the depending stem 48 which is formed with the pedals above described and mounted wlth the rotatable sleeve 40' for oscillation through these slots. The lower end of the stem 48 receives the connecting rod 49 whereby the transverse movement of the stem may be transmitted to a three-way connecting lever 50 as a longitudinal movement I which through any suitable number of levers 51 of the'first class may finally be depended upon to actuate the lever 20 carried on the forward .U-shaped frame 12 through the medium of the link 23. The three-Way connecting lever 50 as illustrated in Fig. 1,-

which is shown T-shaped, has a point of connectionshown at the free end of its shank for a rod 52 which extends rearwardly and by successive connections with a number of levers 51 of the first class similar to those carried on the forward part reaches the rearmost link 23 and through the rear lever 20 actuate's the indicator 16 carried by the frame 13 in the same manner and simultaneously with the pointer mounted on the forward frame.

In order to clearly. ascertain the manner in which depression of the respective pedals .41 and 42 produces in turn opposite longitudinal movements of the connecting rods reference should be had to Fig. 8. In this figure, 1t w1ll be noticed that the connection 49 between'the stem 48 and the initial lever 50 is diagonally positioned with respect to the car since the levers 50 and 51 are adapted to be pivoted on suitable T-brackets 53 carried by one of the frame members 11 of the chassis which of course would place them far to the side of the longitudinal medial line. Whn the lever marked L is thfls depressed the stein 48 is swung to the right which as will readily be-scen upon reference to this figure lengthens the distance between the end of the stem and the initial lever 50 which latter must of course move rearwardly in response to the pull of upon that lever and a consequent rotation of each rod and indicating hand in a slight are from left to right.

The connections for the stoppage indicating pedal marked S and designated 44 are of a much simpler nature since the pull to be exerted in this instance upon the hand 33 is always in but the one direction so that small T-levers 54: are pivoted to a succession of brackets 55 and leading directly to the rear lever 36 and thence'by way of the connections 36 to the indicator 33 which is immediately displaced against the tenslon ofthe spring 35 upon depression of this pedal 44:.

A lever for controlling the illumination of indicators include in addition to the customary T-shaped body portion 56 an angular and downwardly turned extension 57 which is adapted to act as a switch blade between the contact plates 58 upon proper operation of the lever 56 for the purpose of providing a contact in the lamp circuit.

It will be noted that various ad usting devices maybe interposed between pairs of adjacent levers 51 in orderto take up any strain or wear upon the connectlng rods or to properly position the latter so that equal pulls will be exerted upon the 1nd1cators 16.

The operation of the improved direction and stoppage indicator herein disclosed Wlll be readlly discernible from the foregoing detailed descriptionin which 1t Wlll be seen that means have been provided whereby .the objects previously set forth may be accomplished and that accordingly this inventlon may be claimed as possesslng the advantages above recited which are attamed in this or an equivalent manner.

What is claimed is l. The combination with a vehicle; of forward and rearward frames, an oscillatable rod journaled in each frame, an lIIdICatOI carried by each rod, an arm pro ecting from each rod, levers of the first class ahned between the frames, connections between said arms and levers, connections between sald levers to operate said indicators in unison, and a three-way connecting lever interposed in said lever alinement and connected with said first mentioned levers for manual operation of both indicators.

2. The combination with a vehicle; of forward and rearward frames, an oscillatable rod journaled in each frame, an indicator carried by each rod, an arm projecting from. each rod, levers of the first class alined between the frames, connections between said arms and levers, connections between said levers to operate said indicators in unison, a three-way connecting lever interposed in said lever alinement and connected with said first mentioned levers for manual operation of both indicators, and a rock arm oppositely movable to simultaneously move the indicators in desired directions.

3. The combination with a vehicle; of forward and rear frames carried thereby, an oscillatable rod positioned in each frame, an indicator carried by each rod, an arm projecting from each rod, and fined thereto, a series of levers of the first class arranged in substantial alinement between the frames, rods connecting said levers, links connecting said arms with the end levers of said series, and means interposed between said levers and manually operable for actuating both indicators.

4:. The combination with a vehicle, of forward and rearward frames, an oscillatable rod mounted in each of said frames, a movable indicator carried by each rod, an arm projecting from each rod, connecting levers and rods between the frames, connections between the levers to operate the indicators, and a three-way connectlng lever interposed between said rods and levers for manual operation of both indicators.

5. The combination with a vehicle, of forward and rearward frames, an oscillate able rod journaled in each frame, an indicator carried by each rod, an arm projecting from each rod, levers of the firstclass alined between the frames, connections between said arms and levers, connections between said levers'to operate said indicators in unison, a three-wayconnecting lever interposed in said lever alinement and connected with said first mentioned levers for manual operation of both indicators, a rod connected at ltlli llil lid

one end with said three-way lever, a pedal mounted to rock on said vehicle and having an arm connected with the other end of said rod whereby the rocking of said pedal in one direction or the other will operate to simultaneously actuate said indicators.

6. The combination with a vehicle, of forward and rearward frames, an oscillatable rod journaled in each frame, an indicator carried by each rod, an arm projecting from each rod, levers of the first class alined be tween the frames, connections between said arms and levers, connections between said levers to operate said indicators in unison, a T-shaped three-Way lever interposed in said lever alinement with one arm connected with said first mentioned levers at the front of the vehicle and the shank thereof connected with the levers at the rear, a rodconnected at one end with the other arm of said threeome way leven and an actuating pedaigohnected 16 with said rod.

In testimony whereof I e my signature in presence of two ALFREDR.

witnesses.

HENRY 

